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It is with a very heavy heart that I pass on the sad news the Dr. Vic Catano passed away last Friday, 10 May 2019. He was quite ill this winter semester and had decided to take an early retirement this August because of it.

Dr. Catano was not only my professor, but my thesis advisor as well. As such, I spent many hours in his company and found his presence very calming. I last saw him three weeks ago at his home to discuss my thesis. He looked week but still had a sparkle in his eye whenever he spoke of his work and of his students. It was evident that he loved what he did and that teaching was his passion. I am very honoured to have had the opportunity to work with him.

Dr. Arla Day is collecting stories about Dr. Catano and will be preparing a book of memories for his family. If you wish to contribute to this endeavour, please contact and/or send your stories toArla.Day@smu.ca.

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone else who you believe would like to know about his passing.

After a short but graceful struggle with cancer, Dr. Robert William Walker died on December 4th, 2018 beside his loving family. Bob was most proud of two things, his “girls” (his wife, Colleen Walker, his daughter, Kimothy Walker, and his granddaughter Kyra Lambert), and his 50 years of public service in the military and the RCMP.

Bob is survived by two siblings, Patricia Bannister and Gordon Walker, and their beloved spouses Robin Bannister and Janet Walker, in addition to his niece, two nephews and a grand-nephew.

Most of all he loved his wife, Colleen, his partner of 52 years.

Bob started his career with the military while still in his teens and attended RRMC, RMC and eventually graduated from Queens University with an MA and Ph.D. Bob was fiercely proud of RMC, Kingston and his university.

His military career took his family from Victoria to Kingston and on to Toronto, Winnipeg and Ottawa, where he joined the RCMP at the Canadian Police College before returning to the military as a civilian back at Kingston’s Canadian Forces Leadership Institute at RMC

Bob was one of the kindest men who ever walked the planet and will be deeply missed by those who knew him best.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation www.ottawacancer.ca or Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dogs (Autism Program) www.dogguides.com

It is with great sadness that I am advising you that Colleen Okros passed away unexpectedly last weekend from an undiagnosed illness. Colleen was the spouse of our former Branch Advisor, Capt(N) ret’d Al Okros. In addition to being a loving and steady presence to Al, she was always a great supporter of the PSel Branch. Given that many senior PSOs knew Al and Colleen, I am providing the details in terms of the service next week in case you wish to attend or provide flowers or a donation. Arrangements have been made at the Cardinal Funeral Home 366 Bathurst, Toronto (just north of Dundas) with visitation on Monday 5-8 PM and service on Tues at 1100. There will be a post-service reception at 801 Bay Street Tues afternoon. Please note that the Funeral Home is in downtown Toronto so onsite parking is limited (there are parking garages nearby and lots of taxis). In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to the Humane Society or Breast Cancer research.

I submit as a reflection from my past leading to a happy announcement in the present to convey as appropriate.

My career as a PSel officer began in 1980 and lasted 15 rewarding years. I served three back to back tours in Summerside, PEI, first as an Air Nav and then as an Air Operations Controller and finally as BPSO and BTrainIng and Education O. I was then “summoned” from this fair isle to NDHQ Ottawa to assist with the conclusion of the Women’s Trials (SWINTER for short) and thereafter as ABPSO at CFB Ottawa. I was ordered back to a field posting at CFB Trenton where I experienced my most fulfilling tour as BPSO. Beckoned again to Ottawa, I served as PSel consultant for social and economic analysts within DND followed by a brief team position in Military Occupational Structures. After 31 years of service, I elected a voluntary buy out. Perhaps, one of my greatest career achievements was to be recognized by my peers with the annual SCAN award. This, along with the privilege of serving with some fine dedicated professionals and comrades, has left a very positive impact on my life both then and now and for the future. I proudly stand with all my fellow PSel officers in giving thanks for the great service you provide to members of the CF.

As I look back on my career, I wanted to acknowledge how much it played a significant part of who I have become, not the least of which is to celebrate 50 years of marriage to my enduring love of my life, Karen, on Aug 24, 2018

Richard Gilman, Capt retired

Ottawa

Response from Col Noonan

Rich, it is great to hear from you after so many years and congratulations on your upcoming 50th wedding anniversary, which is remarkable. It is because of dedicated PSOs like you that our Branch continues to exist and thrive as we are building on the foundation that you and a small number of other committed individuals built 40 years ago. You will be happy to know that last year we were awarded a permanent PSO position as the Director of Personnel Generation Requirements (DPGR) which now includes the occupation/job analysis studies that you worked on, along with oversight of the selection standards and BPSO technical net, and overall management of the CAF Strategic Intake Plan (SIP). Our F/W/BPSOs continue to be heavily relied upon for vocational counselling, education upgrading and individual assessments, while our SCAN section has now become part of a larger initiative that has recently seen the stand-up of Transition Group, headed by a BGen and where we have a LCol position, several Maj positions and a host of distributed Capt positions to better care for the transition of all members, whether voluntary, medical or at CRA. You and Maj (ret’d) Terry Christopher, amongst others, would be quite proud of all the areas in which we’re now embarking in terms of transition services, policy and programs. In any event, thanks for your note as you took me down memory lane for a wonderful minute but also it reminded me that we are still integral to all of these functions in helping the CAF remain an outstanding organization. All the best to you and your wife this summer and on your anniversary.

It is with sadness that we inform you of SLt Kellermann-Thompson’s loss of his mother who passed away on the afternoon of June 13, 2018. On behalf of the PSOA we would like to send our deepest condolences to SLt Kellermann-Thompson and family.

Our former-PSO friend and colleague Allan Carty is retiring this month from his PSel+1 career (in the Canada Revenue Agency). The forwarded email from Denise Cressman of the CRA includes an invitation to all who knew Allan to attend a gathering to commemorate his 41 years of service to Canada.

Cheers guys.

Martin Hankes-Drielsma

PSO (Retired)

Our dear friend and colleague Allan Carty will be retiring in June. Please join us for a farewell gathering to commemorate his 41 years of service as a public servant at the Glue Pot PubonTuesday, June 19, 2018.

We will be putting together a memory book for Allan filled with well wishes. To add a message, please visit Claire Schryer’s desk located on the 3rd floor. We will also be collecting contributions for a farewell gift. Thank you!